Anniversary
by ClockworkCaptain
Summary: It's Iroh's and Korra's wedding anniversary and Iroh reflects back on past anniversaries that haven't always gone to plan which is obvious since he's just been captured by Amon. Comedy Korroh. Book 1
1. Anniversary

Prompts: Azula, "You're so Lucky", "Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you", Fall, Water.

A story where your OTP celebrate an anniversary.

Word Count: 2103

Anniversary

Iroh leaned back against the cold wall, his body exhausted and his love life, like the royal gardens, currently dying spectacularly with beautiful colors. Forced to marry at a young age, Iroh's love life really wasn't destined to start out well, but after his rather disastrous attempts to get his bride to like him it was really screwed. He looked over at the Equalist guard smiling at him smugly. Now, as the prisoner of a terrorist movement, it was unlikely to get much better.

"Sucks to have your bending taken away, doesn't it, General? You're just like everyone else now," the guard said, smirking.

"Sadly I will never be 'like everyone else', as you put it. I'm still a prince after all." Iroh looked at the clock behind the man as it struck three in the morning and shrugged. "But it does seem par for the course that today's my anniversary too. Actually, this is an improvement from years past."

The man raised an eyebrow. "How bad have your previous anniversaries been to make this situation an improvement? Also, what is this the anniversary of? Please don't say like the death of a cherished family member, I'll feel bad if it is."

"No, not a death in the family, my marriage to the Avatar."

"She's married? But she's so young."

"It was arranged, we were both young when it happened."

"Why?"

"To stop a war."

"What war?"

"Exactly."

The guard scratched his chin. "How old were you two?"

"She was 14, I was 16." Iroh looked at the man's shocked face. "Don't go there, we played Uno and Guess Who on our wedding night before passing out on the Oriental rug."

"Well I still don't see how this situation is better," said the guard. "That one sucks, but right now you're powerless, imprisoned, and have no hope of ever leaving this cell."

"But I'm not mortified with embarrassment. I'm here, yes, but Korra's not, so that's good enough for me." Iroh sighed. "But if you really want to know why this is an improvement, let me weave my tail of disastrous attempts to win my lady's heart. Though I'll warn you, even our first meeting starts off bad."

"What happened?"

"My parents took me to the South Pole to meet my intended and I brought her a box of special Fire Nation chocolate and some flowers. How was I to know that Southern Water Tribe people didn't like spicy foods and she was allergic to Fire Lilies? No one told me! She didn't speak to me for the rest of the visit, not that she could with her face swollen like that."

The guard cringed. "Oh spirits, this does not get better, does it?"

Iroh shook his head. "No… Second visit, I'm determined to make things right. So I go to the one person I know who has the most experience with love. But my grandfather was busy at that moment, so I went to talk to my Great Aunt Azula…

_"Great Aunt Azula, can I ask you for help?" _

_The elderly woman looked up at the sixteen-year-old prince. "What can I help you with?"_

_" I need help with love. Korra is coming to visit soon and I really want her to like me and forget I set her mouth on fire with chocolate and made her face swell up."_

_Azula raised an eyebrow but didn't ask. "Well, you came to the right person." She patted the space next to her on the bench, which he obediently sat down on. "Now, listen very carefully and memorize this word for word, because when you tell her this, she'll be head over heels for you, okay?"_

_Iroh smiled and nodded. "Okay."_

_.o._

_"aaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"_

_Fire Lord Zuko, who was talking with Tonraq over the final points of the treaty, looked up to see his only grandson screaming, on fire, and jumping into the fountain with Korra chasing him. She had bent fire around her fists._

_"YOU AREN'T GOING TO TAKE OVER ANYTHING WHILE I'M AVATAR, PRINCE-Y!"_

_Iroh peaked his head above the fountain wall. "Okay, okay, just don't set me on fire again."_

The guard was clutching his sides laughing. Iroh just frowned. "I'm glad my pain amuses you."

"Sorry, please continue. What happened on the next anniversary?"

"Well, the next year I took her to a theme park because I figured she'd like that."

"What happened?"

"The tunnel of love was creepy, roller coasters aren't her thing, apparently, and the Ferris wheel broke and we were stuck at the top for three hours."

"Well, that could be romantic."

"She drank a whole bottle of water before we went on it. Her mind was on other things."

"Oh. The next year?"

"Took her to the big Aquarium in the Fire Nation. You know, the one with that shark tunnel?"

"Didn't that thing collapse while people were walking through it?"

"Yup. It's a good thing those sharks were well fed beforehand. We both got pneumonia after that disaster."

"Oh… what was the next year like?"

"Not as bad. We went to dinner, I might have pulled the chair out too far and reconfirmed her dislike of spicy foods but, you know, that was a good year. Last year was pretty good too. Yeah, it took a few weeks to find all the animals that escaped from the zoo, but no one got mauled."

The guard frowned. "So do you ever see her outside of your anniversary? Or well publicized disasters? Do you two live together?"

Iroh nodded. "No, we don't live together, most people don't know we're even married. Actually, I've seen her more this year than in all past years combined. Since we both live in the same city now it's a bit easier to do that. I mean, I've been here on and off for years, seeing to my duty as a soldier in the United Forces, and for the past few months Korra's been here living on Air Temple Island learning air bending."

"Oh, did she tell you she was in town so you could reconnect a little?"

Iroh shook his head. "No, I was listening to a probending match and the commentator announced her as the new member of the Fire Ferrets."

"What did you do?" The guard grabbed the bars. "Were you angry that she didn't even tell you she was in town?"

Iroh shook his head. "No, I wanted to support her. She's a great bender, I wanted to see how she did in the ring. So I got tickets for her next match, bought a bouquet of flowers, not fire lilies, and went to watch the match."

"That wasn't the one we crashed, was it?" The guard looked genuinely concerned that his organization had contributed to the General's troubles.

"No, it wasn't. But during the final round I kind of got so caught up in the excitement of the game that I shook the bouquet a little too much, and all she got was the mangled remains of what were once carnations. I couldn't even give them to her in person because I got a call to go back to my ship so I had to leave them in her locker room without an explanation. I forgot about the note I had attached, other than that her name was on the envelope."

"Dare I ask what it said?"

"My feelings for you are just like these flowers." Iroh buried his head in his hands. "Her teammates thought it was a death threat. You are so lucky you've never had to deal with two overprotective teammates that think you're some kind of stalker."

"Wow, you're right. Never had to deal with that. So did you see her again?"

"A few times, none of them very special except for the last time, where in an attempt to save one of her friends things didn't go all that well," he gestured to the room. "I bet you can guess how that ended."

The man shook his head slowly. "No…I can't."

Iroh blinked as he stood up to give the guard a look. "Um…I'm imprisoned by your boss… can't bend… and spending my wedding anniversary talking to you…not my wife."

The guard looked around the room. "Oh yeah."

Iroh leaned against the prison bars near the guard. "You know, it's kind of funny."

"What is?"

"Whenever I talk about my love life, people…"

The guard leaned close. "People what?"

Before the guard could react Iroh grabbed his collar and pulled, slamming the man's head against the iron bars, knocking the man out cold. "…tend to think I'm an incompetent klutz. Sorry friend but I don't want to rot here." Iroh took the keys off the man's belt and unlocked his cell. He rubbed his temple. "Mmmm, getting energybended gives me a headache. Who knew?"

Cautiously, he walked through the halls, looking for a way out. Iroh knew it was late but still, shouldn't there be a few more Equalists wondering around here? He walked through three completely empty halls.

"Amon should really think about hiring new security." He paused, hearing a thud in the distance. Iroh smirked and walked towards the ever-increasing sounds of a fight. He walked out to see Councilman Tarrlok's task force taking on a small band of Equalists. Korra was with them. She smiled when she spotted Iroh and after subduing her opponent ran over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Iroh, thank the spirits you're alive." She stepped back. "And free, here I thought I was coming to rescue you."

Iroh smirked. "I can handle myself." He tilted his head to the side. "Don't you trust me to take care of myself anymore, Avatar?"

Korra smirked. "I have never not trusted you, but I'd feel horrible leaving you out to dry." She looked over at the fight that was now winding down in the good guys' favor. "Looks like they've got a handle on this. Hungry? I hear the Golden Swan Hotel has great 24-hour room service."

Iroh put an arm around her shoulders. "Are you suggesting we check into a fancy hotel just to get room service at three in the morning?"

"I could if I didn't already have the room booked." She smiled up at him. "I figured this year I'd try to plan the events, might end better."

"End better? What could be better than after the Zoo incident, where we spent hours trying to coax that lemur out of the tree, or when we both had pneumonia and spent days curled up together listening to radio crime dramas and actually learning we had a lot in common and actually started liking each other? Some of my best memories with you are the fallout from our less-than-romantic anniversaries."

Korra smiled, snuggling into Iroh's side as a chilly autumn breeze swept by them.

"I guess those were good times, looking back. So you in, fancy hotel and room service, no one knowing where we slipped off to?"

Iroh nodded. "Yeah, I'm hungry. Let's go see how their three in the morning room service is. I mean, what could go wrong?"

.o.

Iroh sat down next to Korra as a fish swam passed him in the hotel lobby, which was currently flooded with a foot of water. "You know, I'm not even curious how this happened."

Korra shook her head. "We weren't even here for five minutes and this place is flooded."

Iroh nodded. "Yeah, I'm going to chalk this up to someone else's bad luck. We aren't that cursed."

"Speaking of bad luck." Korra leaned against him. "Do you think Amon realized he tried to take bending away from a non-bender?"

Iroh shrugged. "I don't think so, but man does that give a person a headache, didn't know energybending did that to a person."

Korra's eyes narrowed. "It doesn't, but maybe that's a clue as to how Amon does take people's bending away. But that's a topic for another day but for now let me see if using healing will help any." She pulled some water from the floor and did a small healing session on Iroh's head. After a few moment she pulled away. "There, does that feel better?"

Iroh nodded. "Yeah, a lot thanks. Now all I want is food."

Korra smiled before her eyes landed on a bowl of fortune cookies. She picked two up and handed one to Iroh. "Here, looks like this is the only food we're going to get until the restaurants open up."

Iroh broke his cookie and read the fortune. "Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you." He smiled. "A good sentiment given our past." He kissed her on the cheek. "So what does yours say?"

"Help! I'm trapped in a fortune cookie factory."

"Really?"

"No, it says someone who loves you is close." She kissed him. "But I don't need a cookie to tell me that."

A/N: Yeah I know I'm messing with the canon with having Iroh a non-bender, but after reading one Korroh fic where he was I kind of liked that idea. It doesn't work for all stories but it did in this one even if for a punch line and to keep the story light. Ok well I'll see you all later please comment if you feel so compelled. ~C.C.


	2. Aquarium

A/N: So this takes place during one of their earlier anniversaries. As you'll see Korra's not exactly the happiest camper when it comes to these things. Hope you enjoy and I'll see you back at the end.

Aquarium

"Could you at least try to act like you're having a good time?" Iroh said through gritted teeth as the two passed some rather nosy looking tourists. The eighteen-year-old prince looked over at the sixteen-year-old pouting princess.

"No." Korra shot another glair at a happier couple looking at a tank of winged sea horse. "I refuse to even try."

Iroh sighed. "Please? I know you don't like me, but look!" He gestured to a tank of clown fish. "Water, sea creatures, things you like. You're a water bender after all."

Korra looked at him with a board gaze and a raised eyebrow. "Really? Do you really thing bringing me to water is going to make this situation better?"

"I don't know, maybe? I don't know what you like you never return my letters."

"I didn't return your letters because that would mean you actually exist for more then one day a year." Korra didn't see the hurt in Iroh's eyes and continued. "And what? Just because I bend water means I like water? Do you really think benders are just obsessed with their element? Do you have an obsession with fire I don't know about?"  
Iroh grabbed her arm and started to move towards the exit of the aquarium. "Fine, you don't like it here I get it. Now let's just move through the rest of this place without causing anymore of a scene and go back to the palace where no one can see how badly you're acting."

They were half way through the shark tunnel when Korra stopped and pulled her arm out of Iroh's grasp. "Don't you dare handle me like that! Remember you might be a prince but I am still a princess and the Avatar and don't you forget it!"

Iroh rolled his eyes. "Oh trust me princess I won't because you keep reminding me of it EVERY TIME WE MEET! But that doesn't mean you can act like a brat in public!"

"Who's acting like a brat now?!"

Iroh ground his teeth. "Well at least I'm trying to have a good time and trying to do things you might like! You don't even seem to care."

"What do you mean? I suggested that we practice our firebending and maybe to a little sparing! You're a soldier you like fighting! But Noooo we had to go to the fish museum! What are you afraid I'll kick your butt at bending?"

Iroh crossed his arms. "No, I suggested this because I'm not a firebender and I can't bend." Iroh had expected that realization to maybe take the wind out of Korra's sails just a little. It did not, in fact it might have added to that metaphorical wind as Korra started on her own little rant in the middle of the shark tunnel completely ignoring everyone else present.

"I can't believe it! Not only do they stick me with you for the rest of my life! They put me with you a nonbender! What the frick?! There is no way we'd have anything in common at all! Who thought putting me the Avatar the most powerful bender in the whole..."

Iroh tuned out her rant and concentrated on the shocked looks on their faces. He hung his head mortified as the one person he was supposed to spend his life with literally took his biggest insecurity and yelled it to whole aquarium and made it sound like the biggest weakness to boot. Out of habit he looked up to silently ask Agni what he had done to deserve this when he saw the crack in the glass. The young prince watching in horror as the crack grew in tandem with Korra's rant.

"Uh Korra.."

"I mean really what am I going to do? I'm going to have to save you all the time."

"Korra." Iroh tapped her on the shoulder.

"I mean really who ever heard of a Fire Lord you can't bend fire."

"Korra!"

Korra turned to face him, "What?!" Iroh pointed up and her sapphire eyes fallowed. "Oh…. monkey feathers."

.o.

Cold, wet, but thankfully not shark bitten Iroh stood next to Korra wrapped in a flimsy blanket shivering while the autumn wind breezed past him and the curator of the aquarium chewed the two of them out. Iroh couldn't really blame the guy for being angry but Iroh had already promised that any damage not covered by insurance would be taken care off. He could let them leave now.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, they were free to go back to the palace. Iroh drove them back in complete silence and didn't speak to her at all, not that she tried to talk either. When they did get back Iroh didn't even bother with the, what had now become usual, fight over who got the bed and who slept on the couch. He just grabbed his sleeping clothes and took advantage of his parents being away that week and sleep in their room. He went to sleep with the comforting knowledge that Korra would be on a boat in the morning and he would have a few days to relax before going back to Republic City and the United Forces.

Any hope of relaxing were dashed the next morning when he woke up in a feverish haze. He groaned and pulling one of the blankets around him he made his way back to his room to see if he had anything in his medicine cabinet.

.o.

Korra felt like she was coughing up a lung when Iroh staggered in to the room wrapped in a very ornate quilt. She sniffed. "So your sick too huh?"

Iroh just nodded and let out a small grown and walked into the bathroom. There was silence for a moment then he returned with a small box. "I have some medicine if you think that will help you feel better." He looked at the box. "Says it's good for headaches, fever, stuffy nose, inflammation, cough and upset stomached." He looked up. "You have any of those?"

Korra coughed. "A few."

He nodded and soon returned with a cup of water and handed her a pill. "Here take this and I'll call down to the kitchen to bring us up some chicken soup." He looked over at her. "Don't worry it's not spicy at all."  
Korra took the pill and the cup of water. "Thanks." After swallowing the pill and finishing off the water she scooted over and patted the empty space. "You look miserable Iroh at least sit down."

Iroh looked at her in surprised but thankful as he crawled onto the bed before calling down for the afore mentioned soup. When he hung up the phone he found Korra leaning against him. He put a hand on her forehead. "Yup, you definitely have a fever."

Korra smirked but it soon faded in to a frown. "I'm sorry Iroh. This is my fault, I let my anger at the situation get the better of me."

"Well that's obvious you took out a whole shark tunnel but it's not fair to take out your anger on me. I'm just as trapped as you."

Korra bit her lip and looked down. "I know, I was thinking about that last night and I'm really sorry about how I acted when you said you were a nonbender. I hope I didn't hurt your feelings."  
Iroh pulled away a little. "Well you did, a lot."

Korra looked up at his face and saw the hurt in his eyes. "I'm really sorry Iroh. I just always assumed you could firebend. I mean I could have sworn I've seen you practice the forms."

Iroh looked to the side. "Well yeah I still learned the forms just incase I ever did show some potential to bend and be a late bloomer like my grandfather but nope I'm 18 and not so much as a spark." He rested his chin on his fists. "I'm going to be the first Fire Lord in three hundred years to not firebend but you pointed that out yesterday quite articulately."

Korra wasn't sure if it was the illness or guilt but she felt horrible. "I am so sorry Iroh." She pulled him into a hug. "I am, I didn't know and-and I am so sorry." She started to cry a little and Iroh patted her on the back.

"There, there avatar. I forgive you, please don't cry I feel bad enough I don't need you crying to feel worse."

She pulled away and wiped her nose. "You're just saying that to get me to stop crying."

"And you're just crying because you know good people don't attack a person's weakest point not because you care about me."

"Don't say that I do care about you."

"You don't pretend people only exist for one day out of the year if you care about them." Iroh's tone was soft but it conveyed the message loud and clear.

Korra didn't even bother to defend herself with that comment she just looked down. "I'm sorry I said that too, it's really sweet you write to me and ask about what I like and that you took me to the aquarium. I really did like looking at the fish even if I didn't show it."

"Yeah sure." Iroh leaned over and turned on his bedside radio. "Let's just drop it and try to make the best of being sick and enjoy some radio. I hope you like radio shows."

Korra nodded silently thankful that the topic had changed. "Yeah, I love them. My favorite is the Shadow and Jonny Dollar."

Iroh looked at her in surprise. "Mine too, I love all the crime dramas actually." He paused to listen to what was currently playing. "This sounds like Fibber McGee and Molly so after this is Dragnet and then should be either Escape or Boston Blacky."

Korra looked over at the Radio and chuckled at the classic hall closet gag. "You know that running gag never gets old."

Iroh smiled. "No, no it does not."

.o.

After a few hours of radio and talking during the commercial breaks the two were cuddled up against each other. Half awake they listen to the latest tragic tail of the whistler. Korra picked up Iroh's left hand and studied it. She barely ever wore her wedding ring but judging by the tan line Iroh did and quite often.

"Iroh?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you like me?"

There was a pause. "I would like to like you but I don't know you. Well, not enough to like you and I hope what I've seen of you is only one side of you and not your best side at that."

Korra thought about what he said for a moment. "How are you such an optimist? I've really been a brat to you and yet you act like there could be a nicer side to me."

"Well it helps that Kattara told my grandfather all about you and he told me so when I did meet you I had an idea of what you were like. Hint: it wasn't the spoiled bratty princess you act like around me. But I try to see the best in people and in a situation. Even in this situation."

Korra frowned. "What's a positive in this situation?"

"Well, for one our nations aren't at war with each other, that's a good thing, and I got to spend a lovely few hours listening to my favorite radio programs with a person who liked them equally and likes to talk about them too."

Korra snuggled against him a little more. "Ok, but what else about our marriage is a good thing? A side from no war. I haven't exactly been the most pleasant person to be around."

"That's a bit of an under statement." Iroh mumbled. "Well at least from my point of view the good things in greater and lesser extents are that you're pretty, um have the ability to be nice every now and then, you like radio crime dramas, oh and being married to you means I can be just like my grandfather and help you in all your avatar stuff. I mean yeah can't bend but I can still have your back if you ever need it."

Korra blushed. "You think I'm pretty?"

"Yeah I do and when you smile you're beautiful."

Korra's face became redder. "Thanks." She leaned back against him. "You're really handsome yourself and kind and patient and really way nicer then you have to be. I mean aren't you upset about being forced to marry me?"

"Of course I am. I was just reaching that age where I could start courting girls and I'm told to stop a war I'm being married off like a piece of furniture. I was pissed and incredibly hurt by the whole affair and the fact that you take your anger out on me doesn't help much."

"Again sorry about that. Until now I never really thought about how it was from your end. So why aren't you are grouchy or mean as me? Why stay in prince charming mode?"

"Prince charming mode?"

"You're almost robotic sometimes, answer the other question."

Iroh sighed. "I guess because I love my nation more then anything and I don't want it to suffer at all and if marrying you keeps my people's blood from being shed then so be it."

Korra turned to look up at him. "You know that's a really good trait for a future ruler to have. Firebender or not I think you're going to be one of the best Fire Lord this world has seen."

"Thanks." Iroh smiled. "That means a lot coming from you."

Korra sighed. "I know it's a few years late but, can we try to start over, clean slate? I promise I won't be such a bitch this time around."

Iroh smirked. "Well as long as you promise."

Korra smiled and held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Avatar Korra of the Southern Water Tribe, I love listening to the radio and have a bad temper that sometimes gets the better of me and while I boast about my bending ability I have never been able to air bend, not even once. Think we can be friends?"

Iroh took her hand and instead of shaking it, kissed it. "Hello Avatar Korra of Southern Water Tribe, I'm Prince Iroh of the Fire Natian and currently a sergeant in the United Forces, I can't firebend like at all and I do tend to hide my personal feelings because I don't want to seem weak or hurt by what other's say about me when it does. I do like to listen to the radio however so sure I think we can be friends."

At that moment Iroh coughed and groaned reaffirming that he was still sick. He shivered. "Ug worst part of being sick is getting the chills."

Korra frowned and cuddled up to him before pulling the covers around them. "Here let me keep you warm."

Iroh wrapped his arms around her. "Thanks, you're actually really warm."

"Hot blooded have to survive in the frigid south." She nuzzled his chest. "You smell really good."

"Thanks, soap. It's always pretty warm here so we have to bathe often, like everyday."

Korra giggled. "Well you still smell nice."

They were silent for a moment as the narrator announced a commercial break. "So…you've never once airbended?" Iroh asked.

Korra shook her head. "No never."

"You'll get it eventually."

"And if I don't?"

"Then I guess you'll be a crappy avatar because everyone knows avatars are rated on how well they can blow."

Korra wrinkled her nose but could suppress a laugh. "That's dirty Iroh, funny, but dirty."

"Sorry I couldn't resist, when I feel bad my mind goes straight to the gutter."

Korra chuckled. "I think I'm going to like having you as a friend and not a punching bag."

"What about having me as a husband?"

She leaned up and kissed him, their first kiss since their wedding day. "You know I think one day that could happen but let's just try to be friends first."

"Did you just kiss me then friend zone me?"

"Nope, you imagined that kiss, your fever must be getting worse."

"But."

"Shhhhhh, don't speak just listen to the Shadow."

A/N yeah I know I should be working on other things but I really do love this AU with Iroh as a nonbender. I also love old time radio shows so this is a bit of a tribute to some of the many great shows of the past. So comment if you feel so compelled and I'll see you later! ~ C.C.


End file.
